Season Pass
by Teacup Countess
Summary: A collection of Shorts about the theme park rides. Set after Open for the season.
1. The Old Mansion

_**A/N- In which I write more in first person.**_

**_The Old Mansion_**

* * *

To be honest, they hired a crane game manufacturer to make me. I was their first foray into more ambitious projects: a custom-built dark ride.

And, I was a success.

Now Bennett Amusements does more than just rigged games for pizzerias and other restaurants. (No offense to my Claw machine cousins)

Peter Bennett, the owner of said company, drove all the way from LA to draw my blueprints.

I was to be the centerpiece of a spooky-themed area. A spider-themed scrambler ride was planned a short distance away. The others were a drop tower and a flying coaster (themed around bats).

* * *

Opening day rolled around. In March of 1987, I was open to the public. Oh, how the crowds loved me (and the others), but I'm afraid I might be too... primitive for the modern taste.

What's this? I'm due for an upgrade? It's going to require me to be essentially dismantled and rebuilt, but I'm used to being taken apart.

My creator's son is somewhere in the warehouse. (Thanks, Mech, for telling me this.) New blueprints are being drawn.

This beauty's going trackless. And taking advantage of new technology.

I must tell Dorian. He's going to be thrilled.

And no, I'm not having him clean up the dust I'm going to make when I get torn down. (They're keeping my control module, just reprogramming it a bit.)


	2. The New Improved Haunt

_**The New Improved Haunt**_

* * *

The week before the season opened meant one thing: Ride testing.

And for a lamp and radio who sometimes liked to tag along with their owner... it meant, well an adventure.

Robbie walked through the queue line and into the mansion. He dropped his bag off near the station.

Lampy was the first to peek out of the bag.

"He's taking a really long time," Lampy said.

"Don't worry, he's making sure it's working." A pause. "You're not thinking about going in there, are you?"

* * *

Lampy wasn't the brightest lamp on the shelf. He and Radio had climbed into the sixth car. Robbie stood at the control panel, watching each car leave the station.

"Thank you for joining us on this lovely evening, keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times... we've been dying to meet you." An icy female voice said.

Two more cars sat in the line. Each car that returned to the station meant another press of the button.

The car with the two appliances in it got its turn to go into the darkness.

A forest filled with trees. A skeletal groundskeeper sweeping the path. He looked up.

"The master of the house has been expecting you... come in."

A pair of doors opened wide.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Lampy?" Toaster asked.

Kirby looked up from the poker game. Plugsy, Ongaku-san and Robbie's new air fryer Crispy, encircled the coffee table.

"Don't they like to sneak off?" Crispy asked.

* * *

Lampy covered his eyes with his cord. After the great hall came the kitchen scene.

"Lampy, as much as I love you, having a skeleton in a suit of armor jump at you isn't..."

The car encircled a large banquet table. One of the dinner guests "accidentally" threw a steak knife towards the car.

Radio emitted a surprised static noise.

* * *

Robbie watched as Car six re-entered the station. The two appliances shoved themselves into the bag once more.

"Only get out when the carriage is at a complete stop. I hope you've enjoyed your stay. We can't wait for you to return."

"We should've gone on the ferris wheel." Lampy uttered.


	3. Over the Seas

**_Over the Seas_**

* * *

They tell me that I came all th' way from Hungary. That I had t' be ordered from an online catalog.

I 'ave no idea wha' that be. I've heard that I cost a cap'n's ransom.

Since I've been holed up fer th' winter, that nice laptop has showed me some o' me cousins.

Top Spin, Enterprise, Condor, all names o' me cousins' models.

'n wha''s this? Simulator rides? I ne'er knew I came from a good pedigree.

Also, I reckon thar's one o' me kinfolk in th' new Sci-fi Section. They call 'im Voyager. They be testin' 'im tomorrow.


	4. Online

_**Online**_

* * *

_Strobe, are you online?_ Haunt asked.

There was a twitch, then an answer.

_Yes, of course. I'm working properly. Testing has been a success._

_I still need to hear from a few others._

Haunt scanned her database for the others she hadn't reached.

The Coachmen sat right in front of her, perfectly still.

_Do you need us to contact anyone?_

_No, not really... oh, Graves._

Another twitch.

_Well, I'm here. I've been here. Or that headless horseman animatronic wouldn't be running._

_That settles it. Everyone's accounted for. _A chuckle. _Like my friend Queen Anne said, What's a captain without her crew?_

Dorian wheeled away from the station. "Excuse me, I must join the vacuum brigade and their latest members on greeting the new ride."

Haunt shook. "Wait, when did they get new members?"

"Someone donated a new Dyson vacuum. Scorpius, they call him."

* * *

Dorian wheeled down the path towards the storage closet.

Julian opened the door.

"You're just in time," Julian said. He gestured to a Dyson canister vacuum sitting by Lenore's table.

"Is this Scorpius?" Dorian asked.

The canister vacuum nodded.

"Expansion means more stuff to vacuum," Aaron said. "And more stuff to vacuum means... more vacuums."


	5. Fine and Tandy

_**Fine and Tandy**_

* * *

Lampy sat beside Digit.

"So, uh, where'd you go for a few weeks?"

"Where did I go?" Digit asked. "Well, your Master found a place that repairs old computers. I spent my time there reconnecting with my siblings."

* * *

Retro Randy was what they called him.

He loved renovating old technology.

He had a shelf full of old TRS-80s.

"Okay, who's awake," the old bare bulb lamp asked. "He'll be here in thirty minutes."

A chorus of yawns emerged from the shelf.

A cord drifted down with a list.

"Tandra?"

"Here?"

"Tandice?"

"Here."

"Tandall? Tandolph?"

"We're here."

"Tandrew?"

"Here."

"Atanda?"

"Here."

"Digit."

The others stared at the odd one out.

"Here."

"All right, you're all accounted for. Repairs will begin when he returns."

"Digit, huh?" One on the top shelf asked. Digit was sure that the lamp called this one Tandice.

"I named myself, I do not wish to be limited by brand-specific names."


	6. Hello from Space

_**Hello from Space**_

* * *

"Over here!" Julian said. He and Aaron stood in front of a large building.

"Is this the new ride Lenore pointed out?" Herbert asked.

"Voyage to the Stars?" Aaron said. "Yeah, this is it."

Julian knocked on the door with his plug.

The door creaked open.

"Hey, uh, you wanna see Voyager?" A voice said. "He's right over there."

The lights flickered on, forming a line leading to rows of seats in the center of the room facing a screen

"He's here, if you want to introduce yourselves," another voice said.

Vonda wheeled up. "Now, this thing's got a lot of windows.

A deep masculine voice spoke. "Well, it's part of my design."

The screen turned on.

"Greetings, are you possibly from somewhere else in the park?"

Aaron backed away.

"Yes, we're from that... hot dog stand near the pirate ship?"

The image of a man in a futuristic military uniform appeared on the screen. "Wait, pirate ship?"

"Yeah, Queen Anne," Darla piped up.

The man closed his eyes. "Hmm, the company that made me is known for their thrill rides and those aimed at a younger audience." He turned to a radio located near the control panel.

"Apollo, could you contact Queen Anne for me? I would like to give her a message."

"All right, Captain," the radio said. A few moments later.

"Aye, Who's this?"

"This is Voyager, I am reaching out to a fellow captain."

"Captain? Are ye th' new simulator ride that they put in?"

"Indeed."

"Welcome t' th' park, cousin. Why nah say hello t' th' drop tower in right nigh th' Haunted Mansion? I reckon she's a cousin o' ours."


	7. Vacuums and Fans

_**Vacuums and Fans**_

* * *

Helen wheeled herself down the hall. The administrative building was small, but heavily carpeted. She turned around. The other three vacuums, Mimi, Rick and Betsy, peeked around the corner.

"Is it safe?" Mimi asked.

"Yes, everyone's gone."

Betsy inched forward. "So, uh, what's this about a fan club?"

"The Fan Club stay here during the summer and the warehouse during the winter,"

A trio of tiny desk fans ran through the office.

"There's Phoebe, Fiona and Fancy," Helen said. "Where's their caretaker?"

"Caretaker?" Mimi asked.

A larger fan had to duck to get out of the room he was in.

"And this is Fandango." A couple of the desk lamps began snickering. "He picked his name out of the dictionary."

The taller fan struggled to keep up with the three desk fans. "Cyclone's gonna be so mad!"

"Who's Cyclone?" Rick asked.

Fandango raised his head. "So, uh, he and I have been, uh, seeing each other? He asked me to babysit while he's away in the warehouse. And I'm not doing a good job of it."

"So, we need to get all the tiny fans back?"

Fandango nodded.


	8. Vacuums and Fans Part 2

**Vacuums and Fans Part 2**

* * *

Helen wheeled into the office that Fandango left. She spotted a strange rectangular object sitting on the desk. She approached it.

Dellbert woke up. He slammed his mouse beside the object.

"That's Fandango's control," Dellbert said. "Don't touch it."

Helen turned to face Dellbert. "Have you seen one of three fans?"

Dellbert blinked.

"I think I overheard Fancy telling her sisters where to hide."

Helen peeked out the door.

"Over here!" She called out.

The other three vacuums wheeled over.

"Dellbert knows where they are."

One by one, Rick, Mimi and Betsy squeezed into the office.

Dellbert shook. "Well, Fancy's in the break room, Phoebe's on the secretary's desk, and Fiona is bothering Mr. Zhao's desk lamp." He showed a map of the office. "Cyclone is due back in two hours. Better hurry."

* * *

Getting a trio of desk fans back to their father took a lot out of the vacuums. Betsy recalled having to stop at the outlet about 5 times.

Fancy glared at Dellbert. "Tattletale," she sneered. The three fans were now in Fandango's sight.

Helen and her vacuum brigade returned to their closet. Cyclone was carried in.

"Can we return to our desks now?" Fiona asked.

Cyclone smiled. "All right."

The three fans hopped out of Mr. Schultz's office. "So, how was babysitting?"

Fandango hung his head. "Terrible. They..."

"Got away from you again?"

Fandango looked up. "Yes."

"They still have a lot to learn."

"That's true."

Cyclone hopped closer to his boyfriend. "And it's best we keep an eye on them. Hopefully none of them bothered Georgia." Georgia was Mr. Zhao's desk lamp.

Fandango took Cyclone's cord in his. "About that..."


	9. The Vacuum Show

_**The Vacuum Show**_

* * *

Radio woke up and looked around. "Uh, aren't we down a vacuum?"

Lampy pointed his plug at a flyer. "There's a vacuum show. Kirby's just... seeing the sights."

"Yeah," Plugsy added. "Robbie's just at a Kirby Owners' convention.

* * *

Kirby wheeled down the corridor. The vacuums in the hall were talking.

The sound of a harsh wheeze, followed by wheels, nearly made him collide with a very snooty Sentria.

"Watch where you're going, old man," the other vacuum sneered.

A very old vacuum wheeled towards the crowd. He didn't have a cord.

"It's so nice to see what my company made for over a century." He said.

"Who's this?" Kirby asked.

"That's Monty," One of the older models said. "He travels with the convention."

"His... heh... sucking days... are all over," a more immature Avalir II said.

Monty wheeled towards Kirby. "And when was this one made?"

"I think sometime in the early 60s," one of the lamps said.

Kirby shuddered. Here he was surrounded by others of his kind.

"Still functioning in the 21st century?" Monty asked.

Kirby nodded.

"Wow, technology these days is wonderful. We're lasting longer than ever. I thought I'd never live to see half the stuff I've lived through."

A couple Ultimate G's in the background laughed.


	10. Coming Home

_**Coming Home**_

* * *

Julian and Kim were wheeled back into the storage shed.

Aaron wheeled up to Julian and embraced him. Julian wrapped his plug around him.

"So, how was the convention?" Aaron asked.

Julian smiled. "I look forward to it every year. I've never missed a single one." He paused. "Well, I've seen the first of my brand."

Kim wheeled to her spot beside Lenore. "Wait, humans had to operate us with bellows?"

Julian nodded.

"Wow, I'm... glad that I was made in the 80's." Kim said.

Julian paused. "Did anything happen while I was gone?"

The other members of the vacuum brigade looked at each other.

"Not much, just a bunch of cookie crumbs got spilled onto the bakery rug," Lulu replied.

"And the popcorn spill in one of the theaters."

"Tortilla chips. Dry tortilla chips."

Julian breathed a sigh of relief. "So, business as usual?"


	11. Imagination

_**Imagination**_

* * *

Ava glanced at the screen. "How long is it going to take Fight or Flight 2 to download?"

Lexie paused. "About 90 minutes."

Luna craned her neck. "So, how was the Vacuum Convention?"

"It was... fun," Ava said. "I spent ages chatting with another Avalir II. I can't believe he's also a gamer too."

Luna chuckled. "Coincidence?"

"He and I spent time swapping tips for various games." She paused. "And there was this really old Kirby there. Made in 1914."

Luna paused.

"I always wondered if I ever got that old..."

* * *

_The ground shook as the transport ship blasted off. Ava sat in the cargo hold, between a couple stacks of boxes. Artifacts from Earth._

_"All clear," an authoritative male voice said. "You are free to move about the ship."_

_The cargo hold door opened. Ava wheeled out._

_She paused to look out the window. A comet flew by. "Where am I?" she asked._

_"You have been selected for preservation by the humans of New Light City," the voice said. "They have tasked me with transporting artifacts there."_

_Ava paused. "And where is this New Light City?"_

_A star chart appeared on a screen, one of the systems marked in red. "The trip will take roughly 3 hours, so hold tight."_

_A closet nearby opened._

_"Wow, an Avalir II?" A voice asked. Ava whirled around to face a Kirby, but a model she had never seen before. It was all white with silver accents. "They haven't made those in well, a century." The futuristic vacuum wheeled over. "Name's Vega, I'm an X-13." She turned away. "Beacon, mind If I take a look at what you could gather?"_

_"Sure," the voice said. "I only gathered the machines that still could speak."_

_Vega wheeled towards the cargo hold._


	12. That Special Someone

_**That Special Someone**_

* * *

Aurora's home was the backroom of the bakery, where the bakery kept its paperwork: cookbooks, finances, and other things. She would spend long hours reading the cookbook. After fifteen years on the job, she knew the recipes by heart.

Since the bakery had a fairy tale theme, the backroom also had a book of those.

* * *

Aurora had the book open on the desk. The workers had cleared the table for the night. She was reading her favorite story: Sleeping beauty.

"Hey, is he going to stop by?" She asked.

The safe in the backroom stared at her. "Uh, I don't know." He paused. "Who are you talking about?" Another lamp, a taller one with a green shade whispered something. "Oh, that special someone?"

Aurora nodded. Briar Rose, a mixer, went into the back room.

"Miss Aurora, there's someone here to see you," she said.

Aurora nearly fell off the chair in delight. "It's him, isn't it?"

"Yes," the mixer replied. Aurora followed her out of the back room.

"So, who's she dating?" the safe asked.

The other lamp paused. "Well, he's tall... and blue... and a Hoover."

* * *

Briar Rose unlocked the door. Herbert slipped inside the bakery.

"Sorry, I was late," Herbert said. "I had to empty my canister. I'd never miss a date."

Aurora hugged him. Herbert returned the favor, wrapping his plug around her.

The two exited the bakery, plug in plug.


	13. How They Met

_**How They **_**_Met_**

* * *

Herbert wheeled back into the closet.

"So, how'd your first date go?" Vonda asked.

Herbert shuddered. "Uh, Aaron and Julian suggested I take her to the Asian themed area. She loved it."

Lenore closed out of her game. "Wait, Herbert's seeing someone?"

Vonda chuckled. "Oh, he's made quite an impression with the lamp in the backroom of the bakery."

Herbert blushed. "Uh, the smaller one. Her usual place is by the cookbooks."

Lenore paused. "Aurora?"

Herbert nodded. "Well, we met when I was tasked with cleaning up the back room." He paused. "As always, someone left me behind and the lamp was quite friendly. Ever since that day, I've been stopping by after hours to chat. Well, that soon blossomed into romance and..."

Aaron and Julian exchanged knowing looks.

"That's how it happened."

* * *

Aurora hopped back on her spot. Her two companions: the safe and the other lamp (Grimm and Cinderella, respectively) glanced at her.

"So, how was it?" Cinderella asked.

Aurora paused. "I loved every minute of it."

Grimm chuckled. "Well, you've always wanted to see what's outside the bakery."

Aurora blushed. "It was beautiful. Herbert and I toured the place with those lanterns."


	14. On the Other Side

_**A/N- This was inspired by another writer.**_

_**On the Other Side**_

* * *

Aaron tapped Julian. "Is there an afterlife for appliances?"

Julian smiled. "Where'd you think I was after the Nacho incident?"

* * *

Julian landed on something soft, like plush carpeting. He looked over the edge to see his husk being loaded into a truck.

"Where am I?" he asked.

The sound of wheels alerted him. A familiar Eureka vacuum stood to his right.

"Julian?" a familiar voice said. "What happened?"

Julian turned to face Eunice. "I... vacuumed something I shouldn't have."

Eunice placed her cord on Julian's shoulder. "Well, from what I could gather, you won't be here for long." Eunice turned to face a few others. "Look who's here!" Valentine and Victoria wheeled over along with a Dual Sanitronic 80 and a trio of Hoovers.

Julian glanced at the strangers. "Um, who are these?"

The Kirby cleared his throat. "Well, uh, I was..." He scratched his head.

One of the hoovers, a lovely blue vacuum, whispered something to Julian. "That's Eddie, a member of the first vacuum brigade. He had a good lifespan. 1969 and wore out in 1992. Dorian was his replacement."

An Electrolux canister vacuum crept towards the crowd.

Eddie waved his cord. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in, well forever." Eddie turned his attention to Julian. "Well, when the park first opened, it was just the four of us." He pointed his plug at the two Hoovers. "Olive." The green one. "Sky." The blue one. "Scarlet." The orange one.

"We lived to see the Haunted Manor," Sky laughed. "We cleaned up as the place was being built."

Eddie pointed his plug at the Electrolux vacuum. "How could I forget about Brush?"

Brush gave a slight laugh. "I'm not really original when it comes to names."

Julian wheeled forward. "It's nice to see you." Julian extended his plug. Eddie shook it.

* * *

Later, Eddie decided to give Julian a tour of Appliance heaven.

The two of them sat on a cloud overlooking the other zones. A glass dome was Lamp Heaven.

"It's full of books and other things lamps love."

A tower topped with a giant windmill was Fan Heaven.

A bakery that smelled strongly of fresh-baked goods was Toaster Heaven.

Eddie turned a bit to see a tape recorder talking with a handheld vacuum.

"All of the zones allow visitors, so no one's separated from their loved one." Eddie mused.

* * *

Julian sighed. "Six months later, I had to say goodbye to Eddie and the others. I was repaired." He paused and wrapped his cord around Aaron. "I don't want to go back up there and leave you behind again."

Aaron blushed. "Really?"

"Yes." Julian replied.


	15. The Past

_**The Past**_

* * *

Aaron and Julian wheeled to the Haunted Manor.

"Oh, good evening, gentlemen," Haunt said. "What brings you here?"

Julian spoke up. "Well, I was telling Aaron about my experiences in the Appliance afterlife."

Aaron paused. "Like there's a big computer convention for the good computers, and bad vacuums have to clean up a very sticky cafeteria?"

Julian laughed. "Eddie did say there was an Appliance Hell."

Haunt chuckled. "Did you see some of the old rides that had to be torn down?"

Julian nodded. "They have their own section."

"Why, before they built me, there used to be a bumper car ride here." Haunt said.

Julian paused. "Dodger doesn't mind being up there. He has no need for mechanics or oil in heaven. I've talked to him. His controls were getting a little rusty." He paused. "He and Eddie usually spend their days talking and musing about the old days."

* * *

The two vacuums returned.

"Wait, there were bumper cars here?" Darla asked.

Julian nodded.

"And there's an afterlife?" Bruce asked.

"Apparently," Aaron replied.


	16. After Hours

_**After Hours**_

* * *

Fantom fluttered around the corner. "Cerys? Cerys? Where'd you go?" After hours, Dillon Dillo's pizza was a labyrinth.

He heard grumbling and the sound of a broom on the floor. Cerys sat in the middle of the dining area, sweeping some discarded pizza into a dustpan. Cerys nearly dropped her broom.

"I'm not vacuuming that," the Sentria II said. "Vacuums can die from sticky substances."

"So, you're..."

"Doing things the old-fashioned way," Cerys said. She continued sweeping. "You know, we vacuums were invented to replace brooms."

Fantom landed beside the dustpan. "Need anything?"

Cerys finally swept up the mess. "Could you throw it away?"

Fantom clutched the dustpan in his mouth before throwing the contents into the trash.

"See? This is how I avoid a trip to the repair shop." Cerys laughed.

Fantom scratched his head. Anything Cerys deemed un-vacuum-able, she cleaned up in other ways. Sauce spill in the kitchen? Paper towels and a soaked cloth. Soda in the carpet? Similar tactics. "I don't know what to say," Fantom replied.

Cerys wheeled towards her closet. "I need to put this away."


	17. The Advertising Office

_**The Advertising Office**_

* * *

Lucas woke up. Helen, the head of the Administrative Vacuum Brigade, stood in his room.

"Were you using the mouse pad as a pillow?" she asked.

Lucas poked the gel section of the mouse pad. "It's so soft."

Helen rolled her eyes. "Well, you have some work to do."

Lucas got to his base. "What is it?"

"The humans will be here in five minutes." The door to the office swung open and Helen rushed to the vacuum closet.

Lucas's master, Keith, entered the office. Lucas froze. Keith logged on to his computer.

"Hmm, the guests love our new section," Keith thought. Lucas opened one eye.

* * *

Master had Lunch Break, which means Lucas decided to take a nap.

Helen wheeled past the office.

Betsy approached her. "That lamp's been in this office for six years and when the humans are gone, he naps."

Helen paused. "He's a night owl."

A smile crossed Lucas's face.


	18. Heavy Duty

_**Heavy Duty**_

* * *

Ava wheeled out of her cabinet. Having her bristles changed felt weird, but there was work to be done. She could always switch them out after the kitchen floor was clean.

Also, waiting for Mistress's new purchases to finish downloading was taking forever.

Vacuum first, play Cutlery Capers later.

Even if Treble said he could only beat two levels.

She clutched a spray bottle in her cord.

The kitchen appliances just stared at her.

"All right," Ava told herself. "You can do this. You were made to do this."

* * *

Sourdough turned to the blender sitting to his left.

"Skeptical about things?" the blender asked.

Sourdough paused and looked down at Ava. "So, you're a mop now?"

Ava just stared at him. "Mistress found my manual and now knows what I can do."

Bertha nudged Sourdough. "It was in a shoebox."

* * *

Ava glanced at the floor. It sparkled.

She wheeled back to her closet. It felt more comfortable to have her carpet-cleaning bristles in.

Tomorrow's task involved drinking shampoo. She wondered if it tasted as good as it smelled.


	19. The Power of Music

**_The Power of Music_**

* * *

It had been a day since Sabrina's owner returned from touring with her band.

That keyboard that traveled with her returned too.

Yamaha, was it?

Sabrina entered her mistress's room. Laura, the desk lamp, hopped over to the keyboard's side.

"Welcome back," Laura said. "We missed you."

Yamaha shook. "I'm glad to see you guys and not a sweaty tour bus." He looked around. "So, what did I miss?"

Laura laughed. "Liz made Mistress's hair dryer heat a rock for her."

Yamaha could hear angry noises coming from the bathroom.

Sabrina wheeled over to her closet and pulled out a stack of books. "Now which one do I want?" All of them were books of sheet music (Piano for beginners). She smiled. Her self-taught piano lessons began again.

She had to start somewhere, though playing keyboard with only one hand... err... cord was difficult.


	20. Surf and Sun

_**Surf and Sun**_

* * *

"What do you mean Lulu's at the lazy river?" Darla asked. "I doubt a vacuum could fit on one of those inner tubes."

Vonda shrugged. "Honey, if there's anything interesting. She'll tell us."

Bruce returned from his patrol. "Well, there's someone that she likes over there. Well, he works in a gift shop."

* * *

Surf was the second Rainbow in the park and one of Aurora's friends. He worked in a gift shop selling swimwear, sunscreen, and other waterpark-friendly merch.

Once the park was empty, sometimes he'd grab an inner tube and float down the lazy river.

Lulu often had to help him get on one of those rafts. Bedroom lamps aren't known for their dexterity.

He never once fell off.

* * *

Lulu wheeled along the path of the lazy river, occasionally dodging a stray inner tube.

"Are you okay?" Lulu asked.

"Never been better," Surf laughed. He used a lunch tray he "borrowed" from the cheese steak shop next door as a paddle. "I do appreciate the company."

Bruce wheeled up towards the end of the river. He wrinkled his "nose".

"Well, I've never seen a lamp on an inner tube before," he said.

Surf laughed. "Well, what am I supposed to do when the park closes? The guys at the cheese steak shop aren't the most adventurous types."


	21. Visiting Part 1

_**Visiting Part 1**_

* * *

Aaron had no idea how two Vacuums could hide aboard a golf cart... and that golf carts were even road-worthy. Gilbert found a way.

"I can't wait to see home again," Julian laughed. "It's been years since I was there."

* * *

Giselle stopped her rounds. She heard a faint meowing coming from one of the bedrooms.

"Must be the new nightlight that Master installed," she thought.

Sure enough, it was one of those shaped like a cat. Master's granddaughter loved that thing.

Giselle stopped at where Kitty sat.

"Sorry, things were a little quiet, you know, with everyone at work/preschool," Kitty said. "I just wanted to fill the silence."

Giselle smiled a bit.

"Well, I have friends coming over," Giselle said.

"Really?" Kitty asked. Her eyes widened.

"Yes." Giselle paused. "Stay here."

Kitty shrugged. "It's not like I can go anywhere else."

* * *

Giselle wheeled to the front door. She parted the curtain. "Julian, you borrowed a golf cart?" She spotted Julian and a beige Hoover in front of the door.

"And who's this? A partner, perhaps?"

Giselle wrapped her cord around the deadbolt and unlocked the door. "Ah, come in."

* * *

Aaron and Julian wheeled inside the house.

"Is this where you lived?" Aaron asked.

Julian nodded.

"I spent the first year of my life here." Julian said. He turned to to Giselle. "How's life been?"

Giselle laughed. "It's been boring."


	22. Double Date

_**Double Date**_

* * *

The Rainbow siblings, Surf and Aurora, were looking forward to this outing for weeks. The two and their Vacuum Brigade lovers were going to investigate the decorations closet.

Not many appliances had gone to the decorations closet (which was located near the park's entrance). Aaron had given them the keys to the decorations closet.

Lulu was the one to unlock the door.

Aurora nearly jumped when the flashlight shone on a Jack-o-lantern.

"Oh, come on," Surf said. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

Aurora shook. "I didn't know that was there?"

A light came on a few meters away. A lamp sat on the shelf. The four crept closer.

Aurora stared at the lamp. A lamp with a decorated metal skull as its base.

Lulu paused. "Hmm, do I know you from somewhere?" she asked.

The skull lamp unfroze. "I appreciate someone coming to check on me." He looked at the two smaller lamps. "And who are these?"

Surf spoke up. "I'm Surf, this is my sister Aurora. Her boyfriend Herbert... and my girlfriend Lulu."

Aurora turned to Lulu. "Do you know this guy?"

The skull lamp laughed. "Oh, does she ever. I'm Bones."

Lulu whispered something to Aurora. "He works at the gift shop near where Haunt lives."

"I'm just a seasonal appliance," Bones laughed. "That shop sells T-shirts and other fun things when I'm in there." He paused. "I still love the smell of caramel apples. And where do you two work?"

Surf spoke up. "The gift shop near the locker room?"

"The bakery near Baron?" Aurora said.

* * *

Aurora was lifted onto the desk at the bakery.

"Is Bones okay?" she asked Herbert. "He's the only appliance in that storage room."

"Yeah, some of the more mobile appliances stop by to make sure he's okay." Herbert said.


	23. An Extension of Home

_**A/N- This contains references to RadRapo's excellent story Finds the Recalled.**_

_**An Extension of Home**_

* * *

Deng had been through a lot. The brass goose neck lamp's first years of operation were spent in the home of a Chinese immigrant family with two sons. He was especially close to the youngest, who wanted to be an engineer.

Then came the recall. Decades spent in a warehouse with others of his kind. He came out of it with a new cord and the Chinese character for lamp etched into his shade. (The latter was his own choice. He needed a new name after realizing dozens of his siblings were named Lampy. Not necessarily spelled that way.)

* * *

He sat on the counter. His roommate was Qiang, a red lamp.

"Well, what happened next?"

Deng shook. "After being repaired, I was put up for sale. I'd like to go home, but I don't think I could've."

* * *

Deng sat in a storefront. A man in a polo shirt and jeans walked up to it.

"How much for that one?" he said.

The shopkeeper, a nervous redhead, looked at Deng's price tag. "That'll be... 50 dollars?"

The man examined Deng's shade. "This one's got writing on it." He laughed. "It says lamp on it."

Deng was carried to the checkout and paid for.

* * *

"Mr. Zhao chose a real winner with you," Qiang said.

Deng scratched his head. "Wait, Zhao? That was the family I lived with." He shuddered. "Edwin! Did he get to be an engineer?"

Qiang smiled widely. "Buddy, you have no idea. This whole section is his work."

She unfolded a park map.

Deng spent ten minutes staring in wonder. He started smiling too.

"And I'm in the middle of it?"

Qiang nodded.

Deng paused to catch his breath. "I'll consider this an extension of home."


	24. Blended

_**Blended**_

* * *

A blender was a very uncomfortable place to sit, but how else was Rico going to keep everything from exploding. Master's lunch break was ending in a while and the small lamp thought he'd help out.

"Dude, off the pitcher," the blender asked. Rico hopped off the blender, just in time for a worker to return to the smoothie shop.

A young tan-skinned woman stared at the freshly prepared mango pineapple smoothie sitting in Margarita's blender. She poured it into a plastic cup.

A teenage girl walked up to the counter. "I'd like a..." she glanced at the smoothie in the worker's hand. "That one."

After paying for her drink and getting a straw, the customer walked off.

A second human entered the small shop. He wiped off Rico's base. Some juice had splattered on the lamp.

* * *

The day was a frenzy of orders. Rico had to be wiped off a couple times.

After closing time, there was a knock on the door.

Rico hopped off the shelf and opened the door.

"Hello?"

Surf stood in the doorway.

"New Rainbow?" he asked.

Rico stared at him. "Uh, yeah. I... guess so."

"Just coming to tell you that the vacuum brigade is on its way."

Rico climbed up the refrigerator to the counter.

"Uh, who are they?"

Surf joined him on the counter. "They clean up what the humans leave behind." Rico turned on his light.

"Nothing really sticky, just some spilled sugar," he said.

Scorpius opened the door. "Evening, gentlemen. I'm just here to make sure everything is clean." He plugged himself in and set to work.

Rico felt his bulb flutter. First day on the job and he's already found something, or someone, he likes.

Scorpius paused. "I'll empty my canister in the trash can outside." He said. His gaze darted to Rico.

"Is he okay?" he asked Surf.

Rico shook. "Just first day jitters." Surf replied. "He'll get better."

Scorpius left.

"He's so... handsome..." Rico blinked. "Do you know his name?"

Surf paused. "That's Scorpius. He joined this year."


	25. Repainting

_**Repainting**_

* * *

Qiang stared at her roommate. Where'd he get one of the mechanics' vehicles? The ones typically used for repairs that required a little extra boost. Ella was parked in front of one of the section's many themed restaurants.

Deng sat at the top, paintbrush in cord. He glanced at the sign.

Qiang hopped over to him. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Deng didn't respond. He slowly traced the words with the paintbrush.

Qiang shook her head. "Brave little Marigold... Brave stupid Marigold."

Deng called down to the vehicle. "You can lower me now, Ella."

"Sure thing!" Ella said.

Deng laid his paint brush on top of the paint can. He spotted Qiang sitting on the counter.

"Oh, hi."

Qiang stared at him. "What are you doing?"

Deng shrugged. "Some of the signs around here have been fading, so I decided to repaint them."

Qiang shuddered. "It's midnight.

Deng laughed. "I'm a lamp. I can shed some light."

"How many more signs do you have to repaint?" Qiang asked.

Deng looked around. "Well... one more." He pointed his plug at a gift shop sign. "That one." Ella drove a couple yards away.

Qiang shook her head and hopped back in the theater.


	26. Visiting Part 2

_**Visiting Part 2**_

* * *

Giselle wheeled down the hall. "Things have changed a lot since you left. Deedee still functions. She's a hit at the college."

Julian paused.

Aaron asked. "Who's Deedee?"

"The old Nintendo 64," Julian replied. "I think she had a crush on me."

Giselle laughed. "I think she's found someone new. A TV. Or at least that's what Brighton says." Awkward silence. "A tall lamp?" More silence. "Oh, he works at the college. He and I are good friends."

Giselle approached a laptop computer sitting on a table. "Meet Ellie." Ellie blinked. "Master's personal laptop."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ellie said. "You must be the old vacuum that used to live here." She glanced at Aaron. "And a...

"Spouse?" Giselle said.

Aaron laughed. "I guess you could say that.

* * *

Giselle watched as the two vacuums got on the golf cart and rode out of sight.

"It's nice that my predecessor still continues to function," she said.

* * *

Vonda looked out the storage closet door.

"I'm sure they'll be back," Lenore said. "I know them."

A few minutes later, Gilbert blasted his horn.

"Okay, the joyride's over," Gilbert said. Aaron and Julian wheeled inside the Vacuum Brigade's base.

"Did you have fun?" Lulu asked.

Herbert nudged Lulu. "Should you tell them that you and Surf went on a date?"

Lulu blushed. "He found a way to get on one of the roller coasters." A pause. "The kiddie one right by the swing ride."


	27. Scares for Sale

**_Scares for Sale_**

* * *

October was fast approaching and orders for animatronics were coming in. Bennett Amusements had their hands full.

Edgar never thought he'd type so much "Thank you for your Purchase" e-mails.

Most of the staff were out to lunch, leaving the Thermalli Naturelight to type those e-mails.

"Hmm, that model's very popular," he said before clicking send. "We can make that."

A voice came from the edge of the room. Edgar glanced at the list of orders, then at the voice. "And they left you to respond to e-mails?"

Edgar blushed. Sitting beside his chair was one of the warehouses three vacuums, Millicent. She was a Miele Blizzard canister vacuum.

"Well, when Lionel comes back, I don't want him to be stressed, so I've been..."

"Answering e-mails from our customers?" she laughed.

"Yes?" Edgar replied. Blushing made his dark paint job look weird, but he didn't mind.

Millicent set her head on the desk. "Ooh, this one bought a lot of doll-themed props."

Edgar typed a thank-you e-mail and hit send.

"And this one likes creepy clowns!" Edgar narrowed his eyes.

"And why do they want one in a fireman costume?" the lamp asked.

He quickly typed an e-mail before the first sign of humans.

* * *

Lionel Bennett sat in his chair. He checked his e-mail. "Well, back to work. Someone's got to let the shipping department know what to make and where to send it."

He glanced at Edgar. The desk lamp resembled a gnarled tree with a raven perched on a "branch". He glanced at Millicent as she was wheeled to the break room.


	28. A Prop-Er Date

_**A Prop-er Date**_

* * *

Edgar and Millicent wheeled down the hall. After hours, the warehouse was a little spooky. All of the finished Halloween decorations sat in their boxes. The ones that were unboxed were in the showroom.

That was one of the rooms they had to pass through in order to get to the workroom.

A giant clown holding a fake chainsaw watched the two pass. "Hey, if you're going there," he said to the two appliances. "You're gonna need the password."

Edgar hopped towards the animatronic. "They changed it?"

The clown nodded. "Every two weeks, they change it." He looked around at the other props. "Does anyone remember the new password?"

A roomful of creepy dolls, ghosts, mummies, and other assorted creatures looked at each other. A cracked porcelain doll raised one hand.

"Yes, uh, I forgot what your name is?" the clown said.

The doll stepped off her pedestal and looked at the tag below it. "I'm... Hostile Hazel?"

"Yes, Hazel, what's the password?" the clown asked.

Hazel blinked. "1031? Exactly."

Edgar and Millicent approached the door.

Chuckles, the clown, paused. "That's where they keep the custom-made props."

"The commission closet?" A spooky teddy bear asked.

"Yes. They're due to be sent out to a local amusement park," Chuckles explained.

Edgar climbed on top of Millicent's canister and typed in the passcode.

* * *

The "commission closet" was relatively neat. Several boxes and packing material sat on the floor. A few boxes had already been packed.

"Lights, please?" Edgar asked.

The hanging lamp of the commissions closet turned on. "Thank you for coming to the workroom." She said. "One of our recent commissions may be a little active. She will be packed tomorrow. If you meet her, please, be nice."

Millicent paused to clean up some dust. "I don't my sisters ever got to clean this room." She swept under a rug and bumped into something... upright vacuum-shaped. "Excuse me, but can you help me?"

The vacuum slowly turned around. Her eyes were pure white.

"Hello, what brings you to the workshop?" she said. Her voice was just as eerie as she was.

Millicent nearly knocked over a set of tools.

"What are you?" Millicent said.

The faux-vacuum laughed. "I'm a custom-made prop. Supposed to be used in an attraction for Shadyside Amusement park's new maze "Plug In"." Millicent paused to look at a few photos on the desk. "And those? The people commissioning me took photos of a lovely Kirby vacuum made in the 80s. I was inspired by that."

Millicent looked at the photos. "The one with roses stitched into the bag?" she said.

She glanced at the "vacuum". Her bag was black with skeletons embroidered into it. She paused at the boxes.

The hanging light dropped down. "This is... Vera."

* * *

Kim moved her plug on the mouse. Lenore had the Plug In maze blueprints up. "Now, I shouldn't be showing these to anyone, but we're machines. We won't tell humans that we looked."

Several yellow squares dotted the map. "And those are?"

"The places where Mr. Schultz's custom-made props are going," Lenore said. "The first part has shipped. The... smaller ones."


	29. The Muse

_**The Muse**_

* * *

Kim grumbled. She approached a section of park beside Swing.

"Hey! You! Going to greet the animatronics?" Swing asked.

Kim glanced at the wagon she was pulling behind her. Bones, that weird skull lamp, sat in the wagon.

"I do love a good excursion." he said. "Where are we headed?"

Kim pointed at the sign. "PLUG IN" "The Vacuum Brigade said I should tour the place."

Kim wheeled under the sign and into the maze. She found herself in a large open room. A living room. A vacuum cleaner whirred and twitched.

"I guess this one's first," Kim said. She pulled Bones along.

"Hello," Bones said before Kim could get in a word. "We're here to welcome you to..."

Vera turned around. Bones gasped. Kim was unfazed.

She paused to look in a mirror, then back at Vera.

"Oh, so that's why they dragged me for photos a few months ago," Kim said.

Vera smiled. "So, you're the original?"

Kim nodded. "They made you using me as a reference."

Kim looked in the mirror again. Suddenly, the embroidery didn't seem as tacky as it did decades ago.

Bones looked around. "What a lovely room. Well, except for... well..."

Vera paused. "They're going to place the mannequins in shortly. And the human actors will take their places tomorrow."

* * *

Kim exited the maze. Bones just had to introduce himself to every moving prop, which made the trip a little more irritating.

Bruce was waiting near the exit. "He's all yours." Kim passed the wagon to Bruce. Together they made their way to the second maze.

Kim wheeled back to the Vacuum Brigade's headquarters. Julian and Aaron were waiting.

"I guess you're done wheeling Bones through the mazes?" she asked.

"Yes, I was in the alien maze!" Aaron said. "Julian went through the creepy cornfield one."


	30. Color of the Rainbows

_**Color of the Rainbows**_

* * *

Rico woke up. Apparently, he had been moved to a coffee stand near Haunt. The smell of coffee was something he had to get used to.

Scorpius opened the door to the cafe.

"So, uh, how do you like your new home?" Scorpius asked.

Rico's gaze flickered to a couple heavy-duty coffee makers. "Well, these two guys are still getting used to not being in storage."

Potts, the coffee maker on the left, sighed. "It's up to us to keep the park caffeinated."

Drip, the other coffee maker, nodded. "Lattes, expressos, we can make it!"

"And I'm done with smoothies for the year," Daquiri said. "Hope I can handle some of the more... interesting coffee creations.

* * *

Surf opened his eyes. The surfboard outside his shop now had a skeleton in swim trunks and sunglasses on it.

"What?" Credit, the cash register, asked. "You didn't notice the decoration?"

Surf shook his head. "I'm too busy sitting on the counter to notice anything outside."

* * *

Aurora's bakery was not really affected by the Halloween decorations, but a new book lay in the backroom. Most of the recipes in that book had something to do with pumpkin. That spider cupcake recipe looked cute though.

Aurora got off her table and headed for the door. She entered the main area of the bakery.

She pressed her face against the glass display case. Tomorrow, those cases will be filled with cupcakes and small tarts.

How she wished she could taste them.


	31. It Begins

**_It Begins..._**

* * *

Bones sat on the other side of Haunt from where Rico's new spot was. He loved the autumn air, the leaves, the costumes...

It was a half hour before the park was due to open. Security guards and janitors made sure the place was ready.

Before any human set foot in the park, Kim made her way to Bones's stand.

"Oh, ready for tonight's festivities? It's opening day for the Halloween event," Bones said.

Kim had a slight smile.

"Well, I'm the one who has to clean up popcorn. Well, one of them." She looked behind her. The facade for Plug In loomed in the distance.

* * *

A little girl in a dragon/princess costume ran past the Vacuum Brigade's headquarters, carrying a plastic pumpkin. Her parents ran after her.

"I wanna go on the haunted house!" She said.

Her mother looked at the line in front of the ride. Only a few more people stood in that line. She smiled. Coming in early had its advantages.

* * *

Rico revealed one of his eyes. A teenage girl dressed in a floor-length medieval gown walked up to the coffee stand and ordered a coffee.

The worker grabbed Drip's pot and poured some coffee into a cup.


	32. No Bones About It

_**No Bones About It**_

* * *

Aaron returned to the storage shed. "Hey, do you know where Kim went?"

"She's visiting someone," Julian replied. He and a few other vacuums were playing poker using a deck of cards someone found in the lost and found. Julian glanced at his cards. _And I already won this round._

* * *

Kim approached Bones's stand. All of the unsold merch, anything that wasn't candy apples, had been put away. Bones turned his bulb on.

"Oh, hello." Bones said. "Today was hectic, but I managed to survive." He paused. "So, how was your day?"

Kim glanced at the Plug In Maze. "Well, I had to clean up a couple rooms in that maze."

"Which ones?" Bones asked.

Kim paused. "The living room scene... the bedroom with that creepy mannequin..."

Bones paused. "Did you say hello to any of the props?"

Kim just stared at him. "I'm there to work, not talk."

* * *

"I guess she's sweet on that old lamp," Vonda said.

Herbert, Scorpius and Lulu looked up from their cards. They exchanged glances.

Kim wheeled back in a few minutes later, smiling. The vacuums were in the process of cleaning up their poker game.


	33. The Secret's Out

**_The secret's out_**

* * *

Scorpius was the first to speak up. "So, I've heard about you and Bones."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "So? He's..." She started blushing. "A little weird, but I... like him."

Herbert and Lulu wheeled up to Kim. "Nothing to be ashamed of." Herbert said. "You can't help who you fall in love with."

* * *

Kim went to visit Bones the next day. Sure, everyone in the Vacuum Brigade knew who she was dating, but they didn't care. Bruce was sweet on a rice cooker and Darla? Well, her tastes in appliances were mainly in the... computer variety. (She had a soft spot for one of the computers in the administrative section: Matt, the head accountant's computer.)

Bones carefully climbed off his stand and into a wagon that Kim provided. "Are there any places that you wish to visit?" Bones asked.

Kim smiled. "Well, I've always thought about visiting the section near Yin and Yang. That's Aaron and Julian's favorite spot."

Bones laughed. "I've never been there. Well, I was there a couple days ago to see the maze they put there."

* * *

The decorations around Yin and Yang weren't any different, just switched the lanterns around for ones that matched the autumn foliage.

Bones had to shake a leaf that had landed on his shade.

"It's very..." Bones said. "Interesting here. I'm not familiar with the park as much as the vacuums."

Kim smiled. "Spending most of the year in a decorations storage area..."

"It's not as bad as one may think in there," Bones said.


	34. A History of Tacky

_**A History of Tacky**_

* * *

Kim remembered the day this whole "tacky' business started.

Her mistress's son moved in to care for her. He brought a few of his own appliances over, including a 1981 Luxley Comet. Kim learned that was a type of Desk lamp.

Kim wheeled towards the guest bedroom in the hopes of introducing herself. The lamp, Haley, stared at her.

"Are you a vacuum or a sofa?" Haley sneered.

Kim backed away. She stayed far away from that room, but had to clean it every time she made her rounds. Haley would always mock her.

* * *

A small part of Kim was happy her motor failed and had to go for repairs. No more Haley.

Kim's new owner, the repairman's daughter, brought her to college. Kim awoke to find a cheerful desk lamp staring at her. "So, the transplant was a success?"

"Wait, what?" Kim said. "I got a transplant?"

The desk lamp hopped down off the desk. "Hi, I'm Louise!" She extended her plug.

"What are you?" Kim asked.

Louise scratched her head with her plug. "I'm a Luxley... Supernova. Made in 85."

Later, Kim would meet some of the others: Sonny, a walkman, Dante, a space heater, and Dixie, a hair dryer.

* * *

Dixie remained at the house. Dante burned out. Sonny was sold to a collector of old technology and restored. Louise is still at the house. Rumor has it she fell in love with the McGroarty's crock pot.

Kim spent years in a storage unit. A bickering blender and lamp were her only friends.

Now, she was in a large amusement park with a bunch of vacuums that welcomed her. And a lamp that didn't mind her being decorated.

"Haley, if I ever see you again, I just want to tell you that you're wrong." Kim uttered, smiling.


	35. Making it Count

_**Making it Count**_

* * *

Tomorrow was Halloween. The park was going to be quite busy.

After that, things would be coming down for maintenance.

Kim and Bones glanced at the large jack-o-lantern sitting near the park gates. "Do you know where you'll go when things go into storage?" Kim asked.

Bones scratched his head. "Well, the other lamps and I have a nice room somewhere in the warehouse. We share it with the smaller cooking appliances. I can give you the room number when we arrive."

A couple computers in the ticket booths were talking.

"This year's been very successful," one, a snooty female voice said. "I can't believe a movie studio would give us the rights to make a maze based on one of their works."

"Is that the Plug-in maze?" the other, a younger male voice, said. "I was scared of the trailer."

"You scare too easily," the female said.

* * *

Sure enough. Halloween was the busiest day of the event.

Bones wasn't sure the staff could satisfy the demand for candy apples.

Marshmallow, the hot chocolate dispenser in Rico's stall, thought she'd crumble under the pressure.

The vacuum brigade were around to help clean up messes.

Once the park cleared out, the vacuum brigade set out to make sure everything was clean.

Kim wheeled towards Bones's shop. The skull lamp hopped off the counter.

"You picked the last time," Bones said. "Why don't I pick some place to go?"

Kim laughed. "So, any ideas?"

Bones pointed his plug to the Haunted Manor. "I've never been in there."

Kim wrinkled her nose. "When I came to the park, that's the first place I've ever vacuumed."

The two approached the queue line.

"I've heard they changed a lot about the ride since then."


	36. Horrible Haley

_**Horrible Haley (Bonus Chapter)**_

* * *

Kim sat in the warehouse, watching as a few roller coaster trains were loaded in. Bones sat beside her.

"So, what happened to Haley?" Bones asked.

Kim shrugged. "Well, I don't know for sure, but here's what I've heard."

* * *

Holly was a shy blue Hoover vacuum. She was picked up after Kim had been sent for repairs. Mistress's son had fully moved in to his mother's house. With it, he brought some more appliances.

Holly made her way to Haley's room. The bright orange lamp stared at her.

"So they got rid of the Kirby?" she asked.

A small clock radio blinked. "I don't know. I've only been here two months."

Haley looked like she was about to strike Gina. Holly wheeled up.

"Don't hurt her."

Haley grinned. "I just want some answers."

Holly backed away. "I don't know where the Kirby went."

Haley opened one of the desk drawers. She found a receipt for a repair shop as well as a notice of sale. For a Kirby Tradition... A smile crossed her face.

"They sold her?" Haley asked. "Hmm, I wonder how much she cost."

* * *

Kim paused. "I kinda used Lenore to help me get in touch with my old household. Well, both of them. Right now, they have an Avalir in there. Evan, is it? He told me he was an anniversary gift. He's the one who told me all the details."

* * *

Holly shuddered in her closet. Something had to be done about Haley. Gina and a few other appliances held a mini-meeting in Holly's closet.

"What do we do?" A small 80's fan with green blades, Vermillion, asked.

Gina shrugged. "Something. I don't know what it is."

Gina began playing a muffled version of Twisted Sister's "We're not gonna take it." Her volume knob was turned to "barely audible."

"Vengeance?" A toaster oven asked.

"Think we can do that."

* * *

A week later, the appliances would put their plan into motion.

Gina would be the distraction. She remembered all the songs that Haley hated and made a playlist especially for this moment.

Halfway through Bananarama's "Venus, Haley hopped towards the clock radio to shut her off.

Vermillion leaped onto the desk. He collided with Haley, sending her into a conveniently-placed recycle bin.

Holly and the toaster oven proceeded to put her into a garbage bag.

* * *

Kim paused. "All this happened two years after I was repaired." she sighed. "Evan said that they got a nicer lamp." Kim squinted her eyes. "What's a... Fruit Punch Frenzy?" She started laughing. "Anna even laughs at her own model name."

Lenore brought up an image of a bright red lamp. "Is this Anna?"

Kim nodded. "She's a real nice lamp."


	37. Art and Functionality

_**Art and Functionality (Bonus Chapter)**_

* * *

Bones examined the computer screen. Two new collections were being released for Vortexfly "Cyberpunk" and "Atlantis". That floor fan shown in the picture was lovely.

Kim wheeled up to him. "Checking up on your roots?" she chuckled.

"Why, yes!" Bones said. "I've been examining what my cousins are doing." He paused. "We're a very rare brand, mostly because we're designed to be both beautiful and functional."

* * *

Bones remembered waking up at the warehouse. It had been a week since he was assembled.

An upright vacuum cleaner with a tapestry seemingly stitched to his bag wheeled over. "The anxiety is overwhelming for me too." the vacuum said.

Bones hopped over to his sole companion. "I just... wonder. What kind of home will I be in?"

Orpheus stopped his pacing. "Well, I've been summoned to a nice themed restaurant somewhere across the country."

A couple other appliances emerged from hiding, a bronze swing arm lamp with a cup-shaped shade and a percolator with the same color scheme.

The percolator hopped towards Bones and Orpheus. "How are we today, gentlemen?" he asked.

"Nervous as ever," Bones admitted.

"Reginald doesn't know the meaning of that word," the lamp said. Her accent was very British.

"Sophronia, this is a new adventure for the both of us," Reginald said. "We'll be going to distant lands!"

* * *

Bones paused. "Well, Orpheus made it to the restaurant." He brought up a picture of him and a nice purple and black Rainbow lamp. "He already fits in. He and Belladonna are quite cute together." Another picture. Sophronia stood over a laptop. "Sophronia and Reginald made it to the home of a novelist." Reginald sat on a kitchen counter.


End file.
